French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the resumption of negotiations between Washington and Tehran in Pakistan. He also confirmed a virtual conference on Friday with “non-belligerent countries” aiming to “restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Emmanuel Macron stated on X this Tuesday, April 14, that he had spoken on Monday with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian and American President Donald Trump. He urged the two leaders “to resume the interrupted negotiations in Islamabad, clarify misunderstandings, and avoid further escalation.”
The French president also stressed the importance of “strictly respecting the ceasefire by all, including Lebanon,” and reopening “the Strait of Hormuz unconditionally, without controls or tolls, as soon as possible.”
Failure of Talks in Islamabad
This statement follows an initial round of talks that ended in Islamabad with the failure of negotiations.
American Vice President JD Vance, who was in Islamabad as the chief negotiator for the American delegation, attributed the failure of talks to the absence of a “firm commitment” on Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
On Iran’s part, the state-run television (Irib) pointed out “unreasonable demands” from the Americans, without specifying what these were.
Emmanuel Macron also confirmed that he will co-chair a virtual conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday in Paris, bringing together “non-belligerent countries” seeking to “restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
A fragile two-week truce, agreed upon on Wednesday to allow time for a lasting ceasefire, has been maintained, even after the US imposed a maritime blockade on Iranian ports in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
